PlayStation 4 Does Support 4K Video Output, But There Is A Catch

The announcement of the PlayStation 4 may have passed, but plenty of questions pertaining to the upcoming console remain unanswered. New details are emerging by the hour, and Joystiq has learned that while the PS4 will offer 4K output for video, the same cannot be said for games. This has its pros and cons, of course, notably that while you’re not going to be forced to spend big bucks on a gleaming new 4K TV, it also means you’re not going to be seeing games run at that incredibly high resolution, at least not yet.

The PlayStation has long since been a console to push the masses through the digital door and introduce them to newer technologies, particularly when it comes to video. The PlayStation 2 played native DVDs, and the fact its successor, the PlayStation 3, came with its very own Blu-ray drive was seen as a big factor in the format’s eventual defeat of the rivaling HD DVD media format.

By offering 4K video output, those looking for Ultra HD (UHD) viewing can do so, while the rest won’t need to feel coerced into buying another television set. It may well prove to be a delaying of the inevitable, although there’s currently divided opinion as to whether UHD will take the world by storm as HD has done over the past ten or so years.

We all enjoy looking at OLED 4K displays at CES, but appreciating a product and purchasing it for our living rooms are two entirely different ball games. Prices for the larger, 80-inch models are sky high, knocking on the doors of $20,000, and although there are set to be more “affordable” ranges at the lower end of the scale (50-inch models for around $2,500), that’s still five times the price of a cheap 1080p model on Amazon.

Like 3D, 4K will likely be something some people choose to purchase, while the vast majority stick with 1080p HD. It is, in some respects, disappointing that games will not support 4K, but it is something that we could still see in the not-so-distant future.

The PlayStation 4 will be released, according to Sony, in time for the holiday season.

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